Signal-lamp.



IiP

- through a SIGNAL-LAMR Specification cf Letters Eatent.

Patented Dec. Elgin.

Application, iiied Eieren 5, 295.5. Serial No. Mir/i8,

To eli whom @may concern Be it known that we, LEE Hwiiinuii and l/Vlimnn F. iViLsUR, citizens of the United States, residing at Dunkirk, in the county of Chautauqua and State ot' New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal-Lamps; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

|This invention rel'atesto new improvements in signal lamps, and has for its principal object to provide an electric signaling lamp which7 in case the bulb is ein tinguished by burning out, a second bulb will automatically sw'ng into place and thereby provide a lamp which is particularly adapted for use for signaling 'and the* like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and eliicient means for shitting,T the operative lamp in position in case the iirst lamp becomes inoperative.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic controlling' means which operates upon the entinguishing;` of the lamp.

i vWith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement ot parts which will'be fully set 'forth inthe following specification and accompanyingA drawings, in which,

Figure l is a horizontal sectional view lampl showing' this improved device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ot the device complete showing the. saine readjf to be placed in position in a lamp. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig, 2 troni the opposite side7 Fig. l is the wiring diagram showing the several circuits7 Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the lamp-carryinfglr disk and the several parts thercoi',v Fig. t3 a detail'perspective view of the cominutator. Fig. 7 is a traggmentary detail pcrspective view oi: the contact controlling the movement ot the armatures. and Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the stop and butler which limits the movement of the disk. Figi. f) is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 9 9 *of Fig. '2, showing the hearings for the lamp carrying disk.

Referring to' the drawings by characters of reference, the numeral i desigiuites the base ol the device having mounted thereon the U-shaped bracket 2, the arms oi which and useful extend parallel to the top surface ot the base l, and are prpvided with threaded apertures for themeception of the set screws f3 which are provided with depressions for the recup tion of the pointed ends of the axle carrying the disk which will be more fully hereinafter described. Supported on the bracket 2 near the lower arm is a transversely exteiiding bar 4 which. is formed of a soft iron or similar material and has secured near its ends the magnet coils 5 which are designed to lprovide a means to release the disks illus- A trated in Fig. 5 which will be more fully f v A hereinafter described.

Supported on the upright portion oi: the bracket 2 above the bar l is a suitable block 5 of insulation havingsecuredthereto thev guide plate 'Y and the angle bracket 8. The plate 7 is Jorme'd with a transversely eX-` tending slot, while the angle bracket 8 is apertured and the plate 7 receives the rectangular portion 9 of the stem 10 which is slidable through an aperture in the bracket 8. This stem is notched as at ll to 'form a shoulder, the use of which will appear as .the description proceeds. ifi. suitable nut l2 is threaded on the outer end of the stem l@ and forms an abutnient'tor the spring; i3, the inner end of which abuts the vertical port'io'n of the angle bracket 8 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8. lt will thus be seen that the stern will he permitted to slide through the openings in the plate and'angie bracket against the compression of the spring i3.

rlie bulb-carrying disk,I hereinbeiforef ie ferred to, which best illustrated in Fig. is designated by the numeral if; and is termed with a central aperture through which the sii/att 'l5 extends. 'This shaft l5 is provided with the pointed bearings l@ which engage in the recesses in the set screws 3 and form a step bearingr which permits the disk to easily swing?. This disk is provided with a plurality of internally screw threaded apertures 17 for thereception of the lamp basesl oi the lamp bulbs l) and extending directly 'beneath each ot' the apertures 17 are the lingers 20 which are mounted on the commutator designated generally by the numeral 21. This coinniutator is 'toi-med of the insulated cylindrical body 2Q carrying the contact plates 23 which are' soldered or otherwise electrically connected to their respective ngers Q0. These lingers 20 are located at a point slightly below the fies ` the openings 17., In order that the disk will provided with depressions for the reception' be rotated, the helical spring 24 surrounds the uppery end oi" the axle l5 and is secured in an aperture in the upper arm of the 'U- l back through the disk to the shaft 15, from shaped bracketl 2 as at 25while the lower end of the spring extends through an aperture in thedisk. Formed onthe periphery ci the disk is a lug or stop 26 which engages the shoulder formed by thel notch l1 and retards lthe movement of the disk when the saine is revolved under the influence of the spring 24. rl`his spring 24 is arranged to turn the disk so that the lamp will be swung into proper position should the front lamp become burnt out or otherwise inoperative. ln'order to hold the first lamp in position, a suitable *tl-shaped frame 27 is screwed or otherwise secured to the base l and the arms 28 of' said frame are provided with threaded apertures for the reception of the screws 29 which, like the set screws 3, are

of the tapered ends of the shaft 30 on which the arnr '31, carrying the armature 32, is mounted, Formed on the arm 31 and extending upwardly therefrom is a suitable 111g or dog which engages the stop 26 and holds the device in operative position. This armature 32 is placed so as to be attracted by the coil 5 so that when said coil is ener gized, the disk will be released and permitted to rotate under the influence of the spring. i

Mounted on the base 1 and extending upwardly therefrom is a suitable standard 34 having mounted thereon the coils 35 which are designed to attract the armature 36 carrying the contact arm 37 which engages and forms a contact with the spring 38 when the lamp is operating properly and engages the Contact 39 when the lamp is out. A suit-- able retractile coil spring 40 is connected to the armature and designed to exert pull on the same in a direction opposite to the pull exerted by the coils 35 so that 'the contact arm 37 will; be drawn into contact with the contact spring 39when the armature is released from the coil 35.

Upon referring to the wiring diagram as illustrated in Fig. 4, it.will be apparent that the power is taken intov the device by means of the binding screws or binding posts 41 and 42, having respectively connected therei to the wires 43 and 44 from which the branch wires, which will be more fully hereinafter described, extend. The wire 43 leads to the contact point 45 at the base of the armature 36 and has branching therefrom the wire 46, which is connected to one terminal or the coil The Contact spring or point 38 is connected by means of the wire 47 to a suitable resistance 48 the 0') 'osite terminal of which is connected by means of the wire 49 to the brush 50 carried on the insulating block which is supported on the upright portion of the bracket 2, and which brush engages the commutator 21 so that the current Hows therefrom and into the arm 20, through'one of the lights 19 and whence it passes through the frame 2 into the wire 51 and it then passes through the wire 44 to the binding post 42. Leading from the coil 35 is the wire which forms a -shunt circuit on the wire 43 through the coil 35 and wire 46 to the wire 52. It

'will thus be seen that when the light is burning under normal conditions, a continuous current will flow through the coil 35 and thereby hold vthe armature 36 in the position shown in Fig. 4 so that the ,Contact arm 37 thereol:l will engage the con- 'tact spring 38. As soon as the light goes out however, it will be apparent that the spring 40 pulling against the magnet 35, will swing the arm 36 into the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4 and a circuit will be completed from the binding post 41 through the wire 43, contact 45, into the armature 3G, fromwhence the current will pass through the contact spring 39 and into the wire 53, one terminal of which 'is connected to one terminal of the coil 5. The opposite terminal of this coil is conT nected to the wire 44, and it will be apparent thatas soon as the light goes out the coil 5 will be energized, thereby exciting the core and causing the armature 32 to be drawn toward the same in such a way that the arm 31 will swing on its pivot and move the lug 33 out so that it will disengage the stop 26 and permit the disk 14 to swing under the in- -tluence of the spring 24.

It will thus be seen that in use assuming the lamp A to he in the normal position so that the lug 33 engages the stop 26 and holds the spring 24 under tension. As soon as the lamp burns out or becomes otherwise inoperative so that the current is broken through the fingers 2O and the disk, it will be apparent that the magnet 5 will be set in operai tion and swing the armature 32 inwardly, thereby releasing the dog from engagement with thel stop and swinging the lamp B into operation. It will Ythus be -seen that the brush will engage the segment 23 of the armature opposite the one controlling the light A, and the lamp B will be lighted as soon as it is swung into position. In this way it will be evident that a practically continuous burning light is provided which is particularly adapted for use fory signaling purposes and which may also be used as a magazine light for vessels as the lamps are swung automatically into position without requiring any attention from the user.

lWhile in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodi- Leidos? ment of this invention, it is to be understood that such changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as will fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1.l In combination, an electric circuit, a disk, lamps carried by the disk, means to swing said lamps into Said circuit, a horizontally extending lug secured to the periphery or said disk, a U-shaped support, a latch pivotally mointed between the legs of the U-shaped support and adapted to engage said lug tonormally hold one of the lamps in circuit, electromagnet means controlling the releasing of the latch, a circuit controller cutting in the electromagnetic latch releasing means automatically upon the extinguishing of the lamp in circuit and thereby permitting the cooperating lamp to swing into' operative position.

2. in combination, an electric circuit, a, disk, lamps carried by said disk and arranged to be swung into said circuit, a verti- `cal shaft extending transversely through said disk, a U-shaped bracket, adjustable bearings ,mounted in the terminals of the legs o the U-shaped bracket, said shaft journaler in said bearings, a spring coiled about said shaft and having one of its terminals secured to said disk and the opposite terminal secured to the upper leg of said U- shaped bracket, said spring being adapted to rotate said disk, a latch to hold said disk against rotation, means carried by the web of the U-shaped bracket to limit the rotary movement of said disk, a circuit controller, and electromagnetic means controlled by' the circuit closerto cause the latch to be re leased upon the extinguishing of the lamp in circuit.

3. In combination, an electric circuit, a

disk, lamps carried by the disk and M rangefl to be swung into said circuit, a horizontally extending' lug secured to the peripliery of said disk, a latch adapted to engage the horizontally extending lug to normally hold one of the lamps in circuit, electromagnetic means controlling the releasing of the latch,.a circuit controller cutting in the electromagnetic latch releasing means automatically upon the extinguishing of the lamp in c1rcu1t, and thereby permitting the coperating lamp to swing into operative position, and a. spring buffer to engage said lugl to limit they rotary movement of said 4. In combination, an electric circuit, a disk, lamps carried by the disk and arranged to be swung into said circuit, a horizontally extending lug secured to the pcriphery of said disk, a latch adapted to engage the horizontally extending lug to nor- ,i

mally hold one of the lamps in circuit, electromagnetic means controlling the releasing of the latch, a circuitcontroller cutting in the electromagnetic latch releasing mea-ns automatically upon the extinguishing of the lamp in circuit, and thereby permitting the- LEE H. WXLBUR. i WALTER li".v WILBUR.

Witneesa @Asume P. Hmm), JOHN J. Causa. 

